Three distantly related areas of research are included: I. Theory of optical activity and its application to small and large molecules will be explored. The aim is to develop optical rotation as a tool for structural studies. II. Poly-Beta-amino acids. Studies are being carried out on certain poly-Beta-amino acids that promise to reveal new types of secondary structures. It is expected that this will add to knowledge of factors governing stability of various conformations. III. Poly-L- tyrosine. Dielectric dispersion and other methods are being used to establish the helix sense in this material. This is an important test case for theories of optical activity and conformational stability.